Low wages, unsafe conditions and harassment: fashion must do more to protect female workers

In the spirit of International Women's Day, leading brands should vow to do more to protect the women making our clothes

The garment sector is great at employing women. At the bottom. While approximately 80% of the world's garment workers are women, the number of women heading the 15 largest mass-market apparel companies on the Fortune 500 list is zero.

Garment-related global supply chains provide critical jobs and capital that help women workers to raise their standard of living and provide for their families. However, these women are also vulnerable in global value chains. Low wages, unsafe working conditions and flexible contracts are prevalent. This is exacerbated by entrenched gender discrimination in everyday life. So what should fashion brands be doing to make sure women are protected?